Understanding Safety-Related Issues for Pedestrians at Modern Roundabouts

Abstract

This paper examines the safety-related issues for pedestrians at modern roundabouts. For this purpose findings of research studies documented in the scientific literature and best practices have been examined trying to focus on roundabout installations by a pedestrians safety perspective. Whereas one of the main reasons for which roundabouts are built is related to safety benefits, roundabout design features and implications in road casualties have been commented first to evaluate the influence of roundabouts on pedestrian safety and then to identify design elements that have such a high potential for traffic safety. At last, measures and treatments that can be taken in the roundabouts design for addressing the needs of pedestrians are also presented by type, according to their effects on safety; this is proposed with the intention to recommend solutions to improve the sharing of road space between vehicles and non-motorized traffic and to assist planners and designers in doing safe roads for vulnerable users.Keywords: Pedestrian facilities, Roundabouts, Road safety, Road design An Introduction on Safety-Related Issues at Modern RoundaboutsSustainable design practices are now required increasingly to ensure that roads have a recognizable design and predictable traffic situations where users know what they should do and what they can expect from other users. Promoting a pedestrian-friendly environment involves trade-offs among different users needs, such as the integration between motorized traffic and pedestrians where speeds are low and the separation where speeds are too high. In this view modern roundabouts represent a very safe design solution compared with other conventional intersections, both for effects on speeds and for effects on conflicts between road users. In order to support safe pedestrian activities, this consideration should be taken into account in the formulation and implementation of pedestrian master plans of which many communities and local agencies are equipping themselves in the construction of new road infrastructures and the upgrading of existing facilities. Moreover, the sustainability of road facilities is a priority for road planners and traffic engineers, because it is directly related to the prevention and then to the reduction of road crashes. More specifically road intersections are the elements of the road network characterized by a considerable potential for crash reduction after the installation of schemes likely to promote the improvement in safety performances. The geometric design of a new roundabout, as well as the conversion of existing intersections into roundabouts, can produce a significant reduction both in injury and in property-damage crashes, as long as road administrators are able to assess preventively the unsafety situations joined to traffic conditions modified by new installations.